Marchetta, Melina. Jellicoe Road. Harper Teen. New York, 2008. 432 Pages. 5Q5P
Taylor Markham’s mother abandoned her at a gas station on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven. Minutes after, a woman named Hannah picked her up and brought her to the Jellicoe boarding school. Now seventeen, having been pretty much a loner besides Hannah, Taylor finds herself the reluctant leader of the war between the school, the cadets, and the townies. Up until now, Hannah has been the familiar constant in her life, when one day she leaves with the only explanation being a note brought to the headmaster by a “friend”. Now all Taylor has left of her is a mysterious manuscript by Hannah about five friends who lived eighteen years ago in the very same place that she does now. With the only family Taylor has left being the friends she has reluctantly made, and the leader of one of the enemy camps whom she has reluctantly fell in love with, she tries to unravel the mystery of the manuscript, and her past.
Generally, I have not been a fan of the Printz winners, but this novel actually deserved to win an honor. The characters, especially Taylor, were so well developed that I felt like I had a stake in what was going on in their lives. Marchetta managed to make this book a mystery, comedy, and drama all rolled into one fantastic novel. It was so interesting to see how the two stories intertwined throughout the story, finally coming together at the end. The only problem I had with the book is that it took a couple of chapters for me to really understand what was going on. All this really means to me though is that the novel is meant for older teens who can wrap their heads around all of the storylines that are going on. The cover art is colorful and fun with funky font, and a picture of a poppy which ties it into the story. Definately a head turner, and well worth a read.
